Hatchway-opening for refrigerator-cars.



W. H. EMERICK. HATCHWAY OPENING FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED o. I5. 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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vv. H. EMERICK. HATCHWAY OPENING Foa REFHmERAToR CARS.

)Patented Mar.

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onirica WILLIAIVI'IL EMERICK, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

HATCHWAY-OPENING FOR REFRIGERATOR-CARS.

Application filed October 15, 1915.

of Nebraska, have invented certain new andV useful Improvements in Hatchway-Openings for Refrigerator-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ythe construction of hatchway openings for refrigerator cars, and has for its primary object to provide hatches on opposite sides of the middle line of thc car and in communication with the ice-box at the end thereof, which hatches have their inner walls deflected toward the middle of the car so as to provide a downwardly flaring or enlarging opening, that not only facilitates chopping in the ice and distributing it toward the intermediate porfis-n of the ice-box, but affords a freer escape for a rising column of warm air when the car is traveling under ventilation, than .would be the case if the sides of the hatch y descended in substantially vertical lines or the latter against not only the wedging action of the inner insulating plug orcover, but also Aagainst the wedging action of ice that is being forced through the hatch.

A further object is to provide hatchway openings as. vabove described, which, while especially. adapted for refrigerator cars, are also applicableto floating cargo carriers `or the like.

Further features of the invention will be' more fully understood upon reference to the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification.

In said drawings Y Figure' l is a plan view partly in section of a portion of a refrigerator car showing the application of the hatch doors constructed in accordance with the present invention.;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 27, 1291"?.

Serial No. 56,132. 1

' `Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a p ortion of a refrigerator car illustrating the application of the invention;

Fig. 3 is across section of a portion of a refrigerator car illustrating 'the application of the present invention; i

Fig. -l is a longitudinal section on the line 4-l of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A represents a refrigerator car which may be constructed of conventional design embodying the usual ventilating system, Aand a represents the hatches, which, in accordance with the present invention, are provided on 4 opposite sides of the running board B of the car, and in communication with the ice-box at the end thereof. And these hatches a embody in their construction, inner walls b which are deflected toward the middle of the car to provide a downwardly flaring or enlarging opening which not only facilitates the chopping in the ice and distributing it toward the intermediate portion of the icebox, but affords a freer escape for a rising column of warm air when the car is traveling under ventilation. These downwardly flaring inner walls are provided bV .Constructing headers l which provide transverse walls on the hatch with rentrant cuts- 2 at their inner ends, which receive the inner longitudinal headers 3 and -l respectively,

and by placing a brace block 5 in between these longitudinal headers 3 and 4 so as to the wedging action of the inner insulating plug or cover C, but also against the wedging action of the ice that .is being forced through the hatch. The longitudinal headers 3 and 6 and the transverse leaders 1 slope downwardly and inwardly Lo provide a tapering seat for 'the plug or cover C. Both the transverse and longitudinal headers of the hatches are preferably covered with a metallic sheathing such as 7. It is to be noted that the brace blocks 5 are constructed at their ends, with inclined portions which conform to the inclined portions of the inner' longitudinal headers, and in this manner firmly sustain the `inner longitudinal headers against displacement.

l. In a railway refrigerator car, the combination of a roof provided with a hatch opening, a frame surrounding said opening and forming the walls thereof, one of said walls havingv its lower portion slvoping downwardly and outwardly relative to its upper `portion to permit access to the space beneath said roof at the side of said opening. l f

2. In a railway refrigerator car, the combination of a roof providedwith a/hat'ch opening, a plug or cover therefor, a frame surrounding said opening and forming the walls thereof, three of said walls sloping downwardly and inwardly and the other v wall-having its upper portion sloping downwardly and inwardly to form a seat for said plug or cover, the lower portion of said last named wall sloping downwardly and out- "wardly to pei mit access to the space beneath said roof at the side of said opening.

3. In a railway refrigerator car, the combination of a roof provided with a running board and oppositely disposed hatch open.

ings in the roofI at the sides of said running board, a frame' surrounding each opening and forming the Walls thereof, the inner walls of said frames having portions thereof sloping downwardly and toward each other to permit access through said openings to the space beneath said running board.

4. In a railway refrigerator car, the combination of a roof provided with a running board and oppositely disposed hatch openings in the roof at the sides of said running board, a. frame surrounding each opening and forming the walls thereof, the inner Walls of said frames having portions thereof, sloping downwardly and toward each other to permit access through said openings to the space beneath said running board, and a brace block located beneath the running board and between the inner walls of said openings.

The foregoing specication signed at Omaha, Nebraska, this 24th day of September, 1915.

WILLIAM H. EMERICK.

. Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents egch, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenti Washington, D. G. 

